Ti West concludes his trilogy with MaXXXine, a vibrant, gory homage to 1980s Hollywood that revisits the character of Maxine Minx, now chasing her dream of stardom in the midst of terror and exploitation. While the film showcases West’s distinctive visual flair and Mia Goth’s compelling performance, it often feels trapped by its own ambition, struggling to balance its sprawling narrative with the tight, contained storytelling that made X and Pearl so impactful.
Picking up where X left off, MaXXXine follows aspiring actress Maxine (Mia Goth) in 1985 Los Angeles. With dreams of breaking into mainstream film, Maxine auditions for The Puritan II, a horror sequel directed by the enigmatic Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki). Meanwhile, the city is haunted by the Night Stalker, a serial killer targeting young women, and Maxine’s sordid past begins to resurface. The film balances her rise in the cutthroat entertainment industry with a giallo-esque murder mystery that brings chaos to her already fragile journey.
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Visually, MaXXXine is a feast for the senses. West fully immerses viewers in the neon-drenched, sleazy glamour of 1980s Hollywood, with meticulous attention to period details. The smoky backlots, seedy video stores, and a haunting synth-heavy score by Tyler Bates create a vivid, nostalgic world. West’s cinephilic approach shines through, peppering the film with references ranging from Maniac Cop to Dressed to Kill and even nodding to Scream 3 in its self-referential exploration of fame and exploitation.
At the heart of the film is Mia Goth’s Maxine, a character who has evolved significantly across the trilogy. In MaXXXine, she’s more vulnerable and layered, grappling with her demons while clinging to her unshakable belief that she’s destined for greatness. Goth delivers a standout performance, capturing both Maxine’s steely determination and moments of genuine fear. Her monologue in the film’s third act is one of the series’ most emotionally charged moments, showcasing Goth’s ability to convey both desperation and defiance.
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The supporting cast adds depth and intrigue to the narrative. Kevin Bacon steals scenes as John Labat, a slimy private investigator whose motives remain shrouded in mystery. Elizabeth Debicki brings gravitas as the ambitious director, offering a cynical perspective on Hollywood’s obsession with commodifying art. Smaller roles, including Moses Sumney’s video store clerk and Bobby Cannavale as an LAPD detective, round out the cast with colorful, albeit occasionally underdeveloped, characters.
Despite its strengths, MaXXXine struggles with pacing and focus. The film’s sprawling narrative — juggling Maxine’s Hollywood dreams, the Night Stalker murders, and her haunted past — lacks the precision of its predecessors. The tension ebbs and flows unevenly, with the killer’s identity and motivation revealed in a way that raises more questions than it answers. While West’s Hitchcockian tendencies to show the “bomb before it blows” generate suspense, the payoff often feels underwhelming, with some plot threads left frustratingly unresolved.
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Additionally, MaXXXine leans heavily on pastiche, and while this works to evoke the era’s aesthetic, it sometimes detracts from the story’s emotional core. The film occasionally feels more like a collage of cinematic references than a cohesive narrative, with its anachronistic nods and playful meta-commentary risking alienation for viewers not steeped in genre knowledge.
The kills in MaXXXine, though fewer in number than in X, are brutal and inventive, relying on practical effects that will satisfy gorehounds. From crushed cars to visceral hand-to-hand violence, the film doesn’t shy away from its slasher roots. However, the balance between horror and character study feels uneven, with the film often prioritizing style over substance.
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MaXXXine is a flawed but fascinating conclusion to Ti West’s trilogy. It cements his status as a filmmaker with a unique voice, even as it highlights his limitations in balancing ambition with execution. For fans of X and Pearl, this film offers a fitting, if not entirely satisfying, sendoff for Maxine Minx — a character as complex and captivating as the twisted world she inhabits.